Improvement in cases for freshing cigars



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Case'fo'r Freshening Cigars..

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i lUNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

WILLIAM E. GHANDLEE AND EDWIN H. KING, OF WASHINGTON, D. C.

IMPROVEMENT IN CASES FOR FRESHING CIGARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,506, dated June 22, 1875; application filled l March 12, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. CHAND- LEE and EDWIN H. KING, both of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have jointly invented an Improved Case for Freshing and Preserving Cigars and Tobacco, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to means for preserving the freshness of cigars, and for freshing or moistening cigars and different kinds of chewing-tobacco which, by the drying effect of exposure in ordinary sales-rooms and cases, are rendered objectionable to Consiliners, and consequently less salable. The trouble and loss to dealers resulting from the drying up of stock is chiey experienced in connection with the sale of imported cigars. Most smokers require these to be fresh, and their relative eXpensiveness, and the variety of brands, qualities, and strengths which must be. kept on hand by an ordinary dealer renders difficult an adjustment of the stock, so as to supply the demand. An artificial moist 'at mosphere has been produced by sponges in small horizontal cases designed to receive cigars removed from the box, but such removal, preliminary to sale, is now prohibited by the revenue-stamp laws, and the application of moisture in this manner could only be conducted on a very small scale.

Refrigerators, preserving-rooms used by green grocers and others, spring-houses, and other structures which may have some of the features of this case, considered as aA structure, are not-intended to be covered or included therewith, and the cooling operation for which the structures here specified are designed and employed is not the effect of this case.

Ilhe improved case for cigars and tobacco, which is the subject-matter of the present invention, is designed for the use of dealers, and to constitute a store-fixture or a wall-case, to be set into the shelving or otherwise supported. It may, however, constitute a piece of movable furniture, and as such is specially adapted for use by small dealers in choice cigars and tobacco. It operates by isolating the inclosedcigars and tobacco fro :n the dry external atmosphere, and by the production or preservation of a moist or damp atmosphere to envelop the contents. It is adapted to receive cigars in their original boxes or packages, and to expose the same when opened as upon ordinary shelves. It is also adapted to receive plugs of chewing-tobacco, which, by exposure, have become too dry to be desirable, and operates to restore a proper degree of moisture ina short time.

Our invention consists, rst, in the process of freshing and preserving the freshness of cigars without removing them from their origin al boxes by inclosin g or enveloping the same in a conned atmosphere which is supplied with different vdegrees of moisture or humidity at different heights by contact with watersurfaces, as hereinafter set forth.

Our invention consists, secondly, in an upright close case having one or more pans or trays adapted to expose large surfaces of water within the case as means for freshing and preserving the freshness of cigars and tobacco by supplying moisture to a confined atmosphere enveloping the same.

Our invention consists, thirdly, in a close case for cigars and tobacco provided With one or more water pans or trays, exposing the water-surfaces for moistening the atmosphere within the case, and constructed with impermeable lining to prevent the woodenvwalls and Ydoors from absorbing moisture, and to render the chamber practically airtight.

Our invention consists, fourthly, in the combination, in a vertical case for cigars, of one or more water pans or trays, and two or more open shelves for supporting boxes of cigars at different distances from the Water surface or surfaces, while they-provide for such circulation of the air as it will make. The distance of respective boxes from the water regulates the relative degrees of freshness at which the cigars are kept, so as to provide for suiting different tastes.

Our invention consists, fthly, in the conibination of non-conducting Walls and doors, a metallic lining, one or more water pans or trays, and open shelves for supporting cigars or tobacco at different distances from the sur face or surfaces of the water, as hereinafter specified, for freshin g and preserving the freshness of cigars and tobacco by isolating the same from dry external air, and inclosing or enveloping them in a confined atmosphere, the moisture of which is preserved or constantly supplied, as required.

Our invention consists, sixthly, in the combination, in a case for freshing and preserving the freshness of cigars and tobacco, of two or more water pans or trays, and means for drawing off the water from either vor all the pans, for regulating the operation, by varying the extent of water-surface exposed.

-The invention is not specially designed for moistening loose fine-cut chewing-tobacco, which "is received for retail by weight in kegs or buckets, and can be most conveniently inoistened by sprinkling it with water when this is required.

Figure 1 is a front View of a single case for -cigars and tobacco, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a front view of a compound case, illustrating modifications of the invention. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail section 'of a fragment of a door and its frame on a large scale, showing the structure ofthe doors and walls more clearly.

Like letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several iigures.

A case for cigars and tobacco is constructed according to this invention in the form of an upright cabinet or wall-case, of variable size and shape, and it may be set in the shelving of a store, or otherwise supported at convenient height as a store-xture, or it may constitute an article of movable furniture, as preferred. The walls W of the improved case, including its top and bottom, are made nonconducting, and it is furnished with tight-fitting non-conducting doors D, one or more. The walls and doors are, by preference, made hollow, as in the illustration, and rendered non-conducting by` dead-air spaces a, thus formed. Metallic lining l, tacked or otherwise attached to the inner surface of the walls and doors, prevents the wood-work from abvsorbin g moisture, and renders the case practically air-tight when closed. The' preferred structure of the non-conducting walls and doors', including the metallic lining, is clearly illustrated in Fig. 6.

Horizontal pans P, one or more, provide for exposing a sufficient extent of Water-surf face within the case, to properly moisten the confined atmosphere, and to keep up the supply of moisture or dampness in the air, as this quality is absorbed from the air by the cigars and tobacco inclosed Within the case. The Water-pans P are, by preference, permanent, and attached by solder to the metallic lining, so as to be supported thereby, each pan being equal in size to the horizontal area of the chamber in which it is located.

Parallel open shelves S provide for supporting boxes of cigars and plugs or lumps of chewing tobacco above or below, or both above and below the Water pan or pans, as illustrated in Fig. l. By multiplying these shelves provision is made for supporting cigars and tobacco at, different distances from the water surface or surfaces, so as to regulate in thismanner the relative moisture of cigars in different. boxes, to enable the dealer to suit the tastes of different consumers. The open shelves are, by preference, composed of longitudinal slats b, supported at their ends on cleats c, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

For changing the water in the pans l?, and for emptying, or partially emptying, one or more of the pans to regulate the operation, and for cleaning the pans as required, prof vision is made by wastepipes d. The collars from which the pipes lead are provided with stoppers @,by removing which the water is permitted toescape. The open tops of the pans afford facilities for wiping them out. Vhen two or more pans are arranged, one above the other,.as in the illustrations, the waste-pipe of the upper pan or pans discharges, by preference, into the lower pan, as shown in Fig. 3. When the ca-se is compound, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, having two or more chambers, the water-pans in each plane are, by preference, connected by short tubes or necks d2, extending through the vertical partitions, as shown in Fig. 5, so that a single waste-pipe answers for each elvation of pans. In the compound case, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, three vertical chambers are employed, and these are connected so as to drain all the water from the pans in the central chamber.

An. ornamentalcornice of variable design is, by preference, superadded to the case, but this and other purely artistic and mechanical details are not essential to the present invention.

The form and arrangement of the hinges h and fastenings f, by which the doors are hung and secured, are also unessential,'and will vary with the number of doors and the size and position of the case. The doors may have transparent panels of glass, with or without air spaces, and elastic strips may be applied to the door-frames to render the joints more air-tight, if preferred.

, The improved case in its preferred complete form operates to freshen or inoisten, and to preserve the freshness or dampness of cigars and tobacco by isolating the same from a-dry external atmosphere and by inclosing them in a confined damp atmosphere, the moisture of which is preserved or constantly supplied, as

required, while its temperature is kept properly uniform.

By drawing off the water from one or more of the pans or trays, so as to empty the same, or so as to partially expose their inclined bottoms, the extent or area of watersurface within the case may be varied so as to regulate the operation with great nicety. In summer the water-pans may be removed or left empty, as the confinement of cigars and tobacco within the close-lined case will cause them to be kept moist or fresh by their natural sweating during this season in most climates.

The following is claimed as new, namely- 1. The process of freshing and preserving the freshness of cigars, without removing them from their original boxes, by inclosing or enveloping the same iu a confined atmosphere, which is lsupplied with dierent degrees of moisture or humidity at different heights by contact with water-surfaces, as herein set forth.

2. A close, upright case, having one or more pans or trays adapted to expose large surfaces of water within the case, as means for freshing and preserving the freshness ot' cigars and tobacco, in the manner herein set forth.

3. A close, upright case, having one or more horizontal pans or trays exposing Water-surfaces, which supply moisture to the air within the case, and impermeable lining to prevent the walls from absorbing moisture, substantially as herein illustrated and set forth, for freshin g and preserving the freshness of cigars and tobacco in the manner specified.

4. The combination, in a close upright case,

of the water pans or trays P, (one or more,) operating as described, and two or more open shelves S, for supporting boxes of cigars at different distances from the water surface or surfaces, substantially as herein shown and set forth.

5. The combination of Walls and doors W D,

pipes d for emptying or partially emptyingV one or all ofthe pans, as means for regulating the operation of the case by varyin g the area or extent of exposed water-surface, as herein set forth. V

W. E. CHANDLER E. H.,KING. Witnesses Jas. L. EwIN, WALTER ALLEN. 

